Child Safety and Wellbeing Panel

Call for Expression of Interest

Key dates

What is the Child Safety and Wellbeing Panel?

The Child Safety and Wellbeing Panel (the Panel) is being established as an independent standing panel to support review of serious child safeguarding events referred by the Secretary of Health. The role of the Panel is advisory in nature.

The Panel will meet bi-monthly, unless otherwise agreed by the Secretary. These meeting can occur via videoconferencing and/or phone conferencing to ensure all Panel members can attend meetings. In addition to regularly scheduled activity, some significant out-of-session papers and response from the Panel may be required and scheduled at short notice. In addition, the Chair may be requested to call a meeting of the Panel.

The Panel will operate using the following definition of Child Safeguarding:

“Any event, circumstance, act, or omission that resulted in actual or potential harm, loss or damage to any child or young person’s rights, or psychological, physical, or cultural safety and welfare that occurred while they were accessing, visiting, or receiving health services, or where a duty of care is owed.

These concerns do not include harm, loss or damage resulting from safety events in the course of evidence-based service provision or clinical care in line with accepted norms or from the normal or expected progression of their clinical condition.”

Panel Membership

The Panel will consist of a Chair, two (2) independent members and a consumer representative with lived experience. It is expected that the Chair and independent members have experience in child safeguarding and health systems.

Panel members will be appointed under a standing offer arrangement. The Chair of the Panel will be remunerated $43,000 per annum and Panel Members will be remunerated $25,000 per annum, with travelling and other allowances to be determined. Provisions will be made for additional remuneration if time required exceeds that anticipated. 

The scope of the Panel

The scope of the Panel includes, but is not limited to:

• Reviewing and assessing all serious child safeguarding events referred by the Secretary, including completing a root cause analysis of the event.
• Conducting defined research, reviews, inspections or evaluations, providing independent advice and evidence-based solutions to the Secretary.
• Assist the Department in quality and safety decision-making in relation to child safeguarding.
• Advise the Secretary on options for quality improvement in structures, systems, processes, and tools in relation to child safety.
• Advise the Secretary on options for systematic management of safety and quality learnings from serious child safeguarding events.
• Advise the Secretary in relation to the appropriate escalation of risks relating to trends identified through the review of investigation findings.

Supporting the work of the Child Safety and Wellbeing Service 

The Child Safety and Wellbeing Service is focused on key strategies to make systemic change in the approach to promoting children and young people’s rights, safety and wellbeing across all areas of the Department of Health. Implementing the National Principles and Framework through this Service will give the Department the tools to contribute to the safety and wellbeing of all children, meeting their specific needs, rights, and interests within a child safe culture.

The Child Safety and Wellbeing Panel (Panel) will support the work of the Child Safety and Wellbeing Service (CSW Service) by providing independent oversight, including the monitoring, investigation and actioning of child safeguarding concerns received by the CSW Service.